Life-saving Narcan stations will soon be available throughout Santa Barbara Unified School District. 

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif.-

The Santa Barbara Unified School District is placing potentially life-saving Narcan in its schools this week.

Narcan is an opioid blocker.

its arrival comes just days after the school board unanimously approved the decision to place it in schools.

The Santa Barbara Unified School District received 28 of the 38 boxes of Narcan they ordered last week.

Those 28 have already been sent out to schools throughout the district.

“We want to be prepared as a community should anybody require that emergency medication,” said SB Unified Director of Special Education John Schettler.

The other 10 boxes arrived Tuesday morning and will be distributed over the next few days.

“It's just a really quick turnaround and it's an easy thing for schools that want to be prepared to administer this medication, to get the training and to get the medication in a short amount of time,” said Schettler.

Nationwide synthetic opioids like fentanyl have contributed to a rise in opioid overdoses.

Fentanyl has been found mixed in with other drugs or in counterfeit pills.

These Narcan nasal sprays serve as an added protection in schools, since they can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“It is a nasal inhaler. So you just inserted into the person's nose that may have overdosed and squeeze and administer the medication,” said Schettler.

It’s safe to give someone Narcan if you think they may have overdosed on opioids but aren’t sure. 

SB Unified staff will be trained on how to administer the medication.